Vending-machine.



PATENTED APR. 4:, 1905.

R E H. B MN 7. m 0 mm NG m m D m E V B I APPLIOATION FILED MAY 13, 1904.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

v PATEN'TED APR. 4, 1905. T. B. ERWIN & H. 0. MEYER.

IVENDING MACHINE.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1904.

4SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES" PatentedApril 4, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

VENDING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,741, dated April 4, 1905.

. Application filed May 13, 1904. Serial No. F

Z'o fl/ZZ whom it WMLZ/ concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS B. ERWIN and HENRY C. MEYER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Britt, inthe county of Hancock and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Vending-Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to machines for vending small articles and it has reference more particularly to vending-machines of the type in which t e articles sold are at- A tached at intervals to a flexible web or strip which is drawn through the machine as the machine is operated and from which the articles are detached one by one and discharged from' the machine.

The present invention contemplates the production of a simple, inexpensive, and reliable machine of the type above specified which is so constructed that it will be impossible for persons to obtain articlesfrom the machine by fraudulent means and which will not be readily rendered inoperative by the derangement of the. interior mechanism thereof.

In order to make the nature of the invention clear to persons skilled in the'art to which it pertains, we willdescribe the same as embodied in a machine for vending cigars from a box or other receptacle in which the cigars are packed in se arate holders, which are attached at interva s of equal length to a flexible web or strip, preferably of paper; and the novel features of the invention will be clearly pointed out in the appended claims. It is, however, to be understood that the invention may be embodied in machines for vending other articles, and we do not limit views.

ourselves to the exact structure described, but reserve the right to embody the invention in mechanism coming within the scope of the claims.

Reference isto be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters-of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete machine embodying the present inven tion, one side of the casing of the machine being open to disclose the'receptacle containing the articles to be sold. Fig. 2 is a sectional view upon the line 2 2 of Fig. 3, the

plane of the section extending longitudi structures shown in Fig. 4 removed to show those lying behind them.

Referring to the drawings by the reference characters marked thereon, C designates the casing of the machine, whichmay of course be of any preferred contour and of any desired structure. In the form of the invention illustrated thecasing of the machine is of such dimensions that space is provided therein behind the operating mechanism to receive a receptacle or box B of considerable size, within which the articles to be sold are packed and from which the said articles are removed by means of the web or strip to which they are attached.

Within the casing C there are arranged at opposite sides thereof two plates 1 and 2, which extend substantially to the top of the casing and are connected by transverse rods 3 near the bottom of each plate. Between the plates 1 and 2 and somewhat nearer to plate 1 is a third plate 4, which is connected with plate 1 by means of comparatively short rods 5 and with plate 2 by a longer rod 6, dis posed between the top portions of the plates 2 and 4. These three plates 1, 2, and 4 form a supporting-standard for the operating mechanism of the machine, as will presently appear.

The main axle or shaft of the machine is indicated at 7 and is journaled in suitable bearings provided therefor in plates 1 and 4;.

its inner end and is provided with a key 9, by which the shaft or axle may be turned against the tension of the spring. the spring 8 is secured within a spring-casing 10, which is attached to a driving pinion or gear 11, rigidly mounted upon the shaft 7.

. The unwinding of the spring is prevented by a ratchet-wheel 12, mounted on the shaft, and aspring-actuated pawl 13, mounted upon a stud 14 in the plate 1.

The driving-gear 11 meshes with a small pinion 15, fixed upon a shaft 16, ournaled in bearings formed therefor inthe plates 1 and 4. This shaft also bears a pinion or gear 17 adjacent to the pinion 15, which meshes with a pinion 18 of exactly the same size asthe pinion 17 and having the same number of teeth thereon. The inion 18 is mounted upon a shaft 19, journaled in bearings provided in the vertical plates 2 and 4. This shaft has rigidly mounted thereon between the plates 2 and 4 a pair of disks 20, which afford support for a revolving knife 21, which is attached at its ends to the peripheries of the said disks and is disposed somewhat obliquely with reference to the shaft 19, as best seen in Fig. 3. The knife 21. cooperates with a fixed knife 22, supported between the plates 2 and 4 and presenting an edge parallel to the shaft 19, so that when the knife 21 cooperateswith the fixed knife 22 to perform a cutting operation the two knives have a shearing action.

The shaft 16, to which the pinion is attached, is provided at the end opposite the pinion 15 with a tolerably large gear 23, which mesh s with a small pinion 24, fixed upon a shaft 25, disposed between the plates 1 and 4. The shaft 25 also bears a small worm wheel or gear 26, which engages with a worm. 27 upon a vertical shaft or rod 28, which. is rotatably mounted in brackets 29 and 30, supported upon the plate 1, as best shown in Fig. 3. Above the worm 26 the shaft 28 bears a fan 31, the utility of which will presently appear.

On the shaft 16 adjacent to the pinion 17 is a blank-wheel 32 of the form best shown in Fig. 5. The blank-wheel 32 is provided at its periphery with a notch 33, and it is preferably circumferentially rabbeted at 34 to present a marginal portion 35 of less thickness than the central portion of the wheel, and in this marginal portion the notch 33 is formed. Substantially opposite the notch 33 a semicircular recess 36 is formed in the thickened portion of the wheel, and in the marginal portion midway between the sides of the recess a pin 37 is set to project at right angles to the face of the blank-wheel. The

pin 37 is preferably provided with a roller 38, which is freely rotatable thereon.

The recess 33 in the marginal portion of the blank-wheel 32 is provided for the en gage- The outer end of r ment of a detent 39, which consists, preferably, of a bent arm rigidly attached to a shaft 40, which is mounted between the plates 1 and 4. The same shaft bears a longer arm 41, which extends dowinvard and rearward and when in its normal position intercepts a coin-guide 42, but may be forced forward by the passage of a coin through the guide, and this movement of the arm 11 when a coin passes through the guide turns the shaft 40 sufficiently to lift the detent 311 out of the notch 33 in the margin of the wheel 32. Upon. the shaft 40 there is mounted another arm 43, which is adapted for engagement with an arm 44, rigidly attached to the vertical rod or shaft 28, hearing the fan 31. A spring 45, wound upon the shaft 40 and having one end caught against the rod 5, tends to hold the detent 39 normally in engagement with the notch 33 and. to hold the detent 43 normally in engagement with the arm 44 on the fanshaft-.

A shaft 46, journaled in bearings formed in the plates 2 and 4 and disposed considerably below the shaft 16, is provided with a roller 47, which receives the web to which the arti cles to be sold are attached, and this shaft 46 has mounted on the end thereof in position to be engaged by the stud 37 and roller 38 a star-wheel 48, which is preferaliily provided with four arms, each of which has a radiallydisposed slot 41) formed therein and extending inward from the tip of the arm. The pro portions of the wheel 48 are such that when the stud 37 and roller 38 enter one of the slots 49 the arm in which said slot is formed will turn in the recess 36, formed in the thickened portion of the blanl-z-wheel 32.

To cooperate with the roller 47 in feeding the article carrying web forward through the machine, a presser-rollm 50 is rotatably mounted in an arm 51, mounted upon a transverse rod 52, supported in the plates 2 and 4. The roller 50 is kept normally in eon tact with the winding-roller 47 by a spring 53, which is preferably wound on the rod 52 and has the ends thereof caught on one of the vrods 3.

The arrangement of the articles to be vended within the machine may be readily seen from an inspection of Fig. 2, in which the Web TV, to which the articles are attached, is shown with the forward end thereof passed between the rollers 47 and 50, the renniinder of the web extending upward behind the stationary knife 22, over a guide-roller 54, and thence downward and rearward into the box B or other receptacle in which the articles A (in this instance cigars) are packed before in troduction into the machine. ln order to keep the web W under proper tension to insure the satisfactory operation of the machine, a clamp 55 is mounted upon one of the. sides of the box B, and a spring 56, secured The operation of the machine will be readily understood from the foregoing description and from the drawings illustrative thereof. The box containing the'articles to be sold packed in the manner above described will be introduced into the casing of the machine, in which it is held stationary by a small spring 57 or other suitable device. The web W, to which the articles are attached by separate tabs T, which are bent over to form holders for the articles, will be passed forward over the guide-roller 54 and thence downward behind the stationary knife 22 to the feed or winding roller 47, underwhich the web will be passed, so that it may be engaged by the presser-roller50. The spring 8, from which power is obtained to operate the vending mechanism, will then be wound by means of the key 9, and the machine will-be ready for operation. When a coin is dropped downward through the coin guide 42, it will strike the end of the arm 41, which intercepts the guide near the bottom, and the momentumof the coin will be sufficient to force the arm out of the guide, so turning the shaft sufficiently to lift the detent 39 out ofjthe recess 33 in the blank-wheel 32. As soon as the detent 39 is lifted out of the recess 33 the blank-wheel will be free to turn under the impulse of the spring 8, transmitted through the earing connecting the shaft 7 with the b ank-wheel shaft, and at the same time motion will be imparted from the blank-wheel shaft to the shaft 19,which carries the revolving knife 21. Shortly afterthe movement of the blankwheel 32 begins the stud 37 and roller 38 thereon will engage with one of the slots 49 in the star-wheel 48, which is normally in the position shown in Fig. 4. The engagement of the stud 37 and roller 38 with the star; wheel will cause a partial rotation of the starwheel. Inythe form of the invention illustrated the star-wheel is constructed to turn through an angle of ninety degrees 'at each revolution of the blank-wheel. The partial rotation of the star-wheel will impart a similar partial rotation to the feed-roller 47, which is of 'such dimensions that a quarterrevolution thereof will draw the web W forward a distance equal to the interval between makes a revolution in the same time that the blank-wheel 32 makes its revolution, reaches vending of cig the stationary knife 22 the web W will have ceased to move forward. At each forward movement of the web W one of the articles A will pass over the guide-roller 54, which is disposed directly above the stationary knife 22, and as an article passes over the guide-roller its weight will cause it to fall forward and downward, so that by the time the move ment of the web W ceases the tab T, by which the article is attached to the web, will hang over the edge of the knife 22, as shown in Fig. 2. Consequentlywhen the knife 21 passes the fixed knife 22 it will sever the tab T and detach the article from the web. As soon as the'article is detached by the severance of the tab it will pass downward and forward to the front of the casing along a removable apron 58, which extends from the under side of the knife 22 downward and forward through an opening 59 in the front of the casin C.

in the operation of the machine as above described the fan 31 serves as a brake or regu lator to prevent the machine from operating with such rapidity when the spring 8 is tightly wound as to cause the web W to be drawn too rapidly overv the guide-roller 54 and to becomeslack between the guideroller and the feed-roller 47. The fan acts as a sort of escapement and insures an ap proximate uniformity of speed in operation,

' whether the'motor-spring 8 be completely or only partially wound.

' From'the description of the construction and operation of the machine forming the present invention it will be readily seen that the mechanism is of such'character that it can be readily constructed at relatively small expense and that the articles will be delivered with certainty one by one as the mech anism is actuated. 1 I

The machine is especially adapted for the ars and other fragile articles,

because very 1ttle pressure is ever brought to bear upon an article in its course from the receptacle in which it is packed through the machine to the purchaser. Moreover, there is no way in which the machine can be tilted, turned, or otherwise manipulated by a dis-- honest person to effect the removal of the contents of the machine byfraudulent means.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent i 1. The combination in a vending-machine, of afixed cutter, a web-feedin mechanism for feeding a web at one side of the body of thesaid cutter and in close proximity thereto, and a movable cutter operating in conjunction with the fixed cutter, whereby articles attached to the web'by tabs will fall over the edge of the fixed cutter in the travel of the web and the tabs connecting the articles severed from the web.

2. The combination in a vend in gmachine, of a fixed. cutter, a movable cutter operating in conjunction with the fixed cutter, a web having articles attached thereto by tabs, and a web-feeding mechanism for feeding a web in close proximity to and at one side of the body of the fixed cutter, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination in a vending-machine, of a fixed cutter, a movable cutter operating in conjunction with the fixed cutter, a web having articles attached thereto by tabs, a web-feeding device arranged below the fixed cutter, and a web-guide arranged above the fixed cutter, whereby the web will be fed at one side of and in close proximity to the fixed cutter, as set forth.

4. The combination in a vending-m achine, of a web having articles attached thereto by separate tabs, means for feeding the web, means for moving one of said articles out of contact with the web during each food move ment of the web, and mechanism for severing the tab of the article after the article is moved out of contact with the web.

5. The combination in a vending-machine, of a web having articles attached thereto by tabs, means for intermittently feeding the web, mechanism for severing the tabs from the web, and a spring adjacent to said web and adapted to engage the articles carried thereby to keep the web under proper ten- S1011.

6. The combination in a vending-machine, of a web having articles attached thereto upon one side by tabs, means for feeding the web, a fixed knife adjacent to which the web travels, and a movable knife cor'iperating with said fixed knife to sever articles from said web.

7. The combination in a vending-machine, of a web having articles attached thereto, means for feeding the web, a fixed knife disposed transversely of said web and in the rear of which the web travels, and a movable I knife disposed obliquely to the line of travel of the said web and cooperating with the fixed knife to shear articlesfrom the web.

8. The combination in a vendingmachine, of a web having articles attached thereto, means for feeding the web, a fixed knife disposed transversely of the web and in the rear ofwhich the web travels, and a revolving knife disposed obliquely to its axis and cooperating with the fixed knife to shear articles from the web.

9. The combination in avending-machine, of a web having articles attached thereto by tabs, a web feeding mechanism, a guideroller over which the web is adapted to pass,

a fixed knife disposed substantially beneath said guide-roller and spaced therefrom, bei hind which the web is adapted to pass, and a movable knife cooperating with the fixed knife to sever the tabs carrying the articles from the web.

10. The combination in a vending-machine, of a guide-roller, a fixed knife disposed substantially beneath the guide-rol er, a feed-roller disposed below and in front of said fixed knife, and a revolving knife cooperating with the fixed knife.

11. The combination in a vending-machine, of a receptacle, a guide-roller disposed adjacent to the receptacle, a spring extending above the receptacle and terminating adjacent to the guide-roller, severing devices beneath the guide-roller behind which a web is adapted to pass, and webfceding devices disposed in front of the said severing devices.

12. The combination inv a vending-mm chine, of web feeding devices, a star wheel connected with said web-feeding devices to impart movement thereto, blank wheel bearing a stud adapted to engage said starwheel during a portion of each. revolution of the blank-wheel, and article-detaching devices connected with said blank-wheel and operative during the entire revolution of the blankwheel.

13. In a vending machine, the combination of a web feeding means, a starwheel connected with the. web-feeding means for imparting movement tl'iereto, a blank-wlwel bearing a stud adapted to be engaged by the star-wheel during a portion of each revolution of the blank-wheel, a cutting device, consisting of a fixed cutter and a revoluble cutter, and means for operating the revoluble cutter from the blank-wheel.

l l. ln a. vending machine, the combimttion of a motor, an intcrmittently-t)perated web-feeding mechanism, a cutting device comprising a fixed cutter and a revoluble cutter, and means for operating the revoluble cutter, the means for feeding the web and the means for operating the revoluble cutter being so timed that the cutting will take place when the web is at rest.

15. In a vending machine, the. combination of a motor, a webfeeding means intermittently operated by the motor, a cutting device comprising a fixed cutter and a revoluble cutter, and means for operating the revoluble cutter from the motor to cause the cutting to take place when the web is at rest.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Tl'l OA [AS B. E ll W l N HENRY C. M lCY Eli. lVitn esses:

W. B. Fnrrzn, E. M. Buns lTT. 

